Tongue controller saliva ejector

ABSTRACT

A dentist&#39;&#39;s saliva ejector consisting of a flexible perforated collection tube connected to a rigid vacuum conduit with an upstanding tongue-engaging plate secured lengthwise of the collection tube. The perforated flexible collection tube is placed between the patient&#39;&#39;s tongue and lower front teeth and the upstanding plate projects the patient&#39;&#39;s tongue during a dental operation.

United States Patent [1 1 ILIITI I ll 1 M11111, 1! 1 Rogers Apr. 9, 1974[54] TONGUE CONTROLLER SALIVA EJECTOR 2,937,445 5/1960 Erickson 33/33[76] Inventor: Winston L. Rogers, 7 Los Arboles Ofinda, Rheem y, Calif-94563 Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock [22] Filed Oct 10 1972 Attorney,Agent, or Firm-Bruce & McCoy [21] Appl. No.: 296,279

Related US. Application Data [57] ABSTRACT [63] Continuation of 1971' Adentists saliva ejector consisting of a flexible perfoabandoned' ratedcollection tube connected to a rigid vacuum conduit with an upstandingtongue-engaging plate se- }J.S.:il. "A81.-

cured lengthwise of the collection tube. The perfo- 'f i c ratedflexible collection tube is placed between the pa- 1e 0 earc den tongueand lower front teeth and the upstand ing plate projects the patientstongue during a dental [56] References Cited Operation UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,603,870 -7/1952 Nordin 32/33 6 Claims, 10 Drawing FiguresMENTEBAPR 91am 3,802,081

FIG. 1

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TONGUE CONTROLLER SALIVA EJECTOR This is a continuation of applicationSer. No. 1 10,947, filed Jan. 29, 1971 and now abandoned.

This invention relates to saliva ejectorsof the type adapted to beplaced in a patients mouth during a dental operation, and moreparticularly to a saliva ejector provided with a plate-like tongueguard.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved salivaejector device of the type provided with an upstanding plate-like tongueguard, the device being simple in construction, beingeasy to assemble,and being considerably more comfortable for a patient to use thandevices previously employed for this purpose. a j

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved salivaejector of the type employing a plate-like tongue controller, the devicebeing inexpensive to manufacture, being durable in construction, beingcompact in size, and being relatively soft and pliable so that its useis substantially painless to the patient.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an improved saliva ejector device of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially on line4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the flexible perforated saliva intake tubeemployed in the device of FIGS. 1 to FIG. 6 is a side elevational viewof the plate-like tongue guardmember employedin the device of FIGS. 1 to4, shown prior to its attachmentto the flexible saliva intake member ofFIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the upper portionof the saliva ejector assembly in longitudinal vertical cross-sectionand illustrating how the lowermost lug on the plate-like tongue guard istwisted so as to act substantially as a closure for the end oftheflexible saliva intake tube FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of theend of the rigid ejector tube employed as part of the saliva ejectorassembly.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of a plate-like tongue guard membersimilar to that employed in FIG. 7, but varying somewhat in designtherefrom in accordance with the shape of a patients mouth.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of a relatively small plate-like tongueguard member adapted to be employed for a child.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a typical salivaejector assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.The assembly comprisesa curved tubular rigid member which is arcuatelycurved in a manner which adapts it for placement in a patients mouth,the member 12 beingprovided with a depending vertical end portion 13which is attached to a flexible conduit 14 leading to a suitable vacuummeans. The opposite end of the tube 12 is formed with diametricallyopposed longitudinal slots l5, l5. Membcr I2 is provided above saidslots at the top wall terial, such asstainless steel or the like, themember 17 being employed as a tongue guard, as will be presentlyexplained. Member 17 is provided with a plurality of lugs integrallyformed therewith and coplanar therewith in their normal condition, thelugs projecting from the bottom edge of the main body of the member 17and being designated respectively at l8, l9 and 20 in the typicalembodiment thereof shown in FIG. 6. The lugs are formed with relativelynarrow neck portions, as shown at 21. The lugs may be of any suitableshape, the lowermost lug being preferably of generally circular shape,and the other lugsbeing of generally T-shape. The uppermost lug 20 isprovided with a laterally extending integral projection 22 which isdirected upwardly in a position of the member 17 illustrated in FIG. 6,which corresponds to the actual working position of the tongue guardmember 17.

Designated at 23 is a flexible perforated tubular member of relativelysoft material of a rubber-like character such as rubber or soft vinylmaterial, the tubular member 23 having perforations 24 and a slot 25 inits top wall, as well as an end perforation 26. The perforations 24, 25and 26 are spaced in accordance with the spacing of the lugs 18, 19 and20 and the detent projection 16, as will be presently explained. Thetubular member 23 may be provided with a plurality of additional intakeperforations 27 suitably distributed alongthe bottom portion of member23.

In assembling the device, the tongue guard member 17 is first secured tothe tubular member 23 by engaging the lugs 18, 19 and 20 respectively inthe apertures 24 and 25, the material of the tubular member 23 beingsufficiently elastic to allow the lugs to be forced throughthe-apertures so that the narrow neck portions 21 of lugs 18 and 19 andthe corresponding relatively narrow neck portion of lug 20 finally arelockingly received in the apertures 24 and the slot 25. The tube 23 isthen forced over the depending intake end of the rigid tubular member 12so that the lug 20 is received in the slots 15 and the projection 22extends upwardly into the end of the tube 12, with the projection 16lockingly engaged through the aperture 26 of tube 23, as illustrated inFIG. 4. The opposite end of member 12, namely, the depending portion 13,is then connected to the end of the vacuum tube 14, whereby the deviceis ready for use and may be placed in a patients mouth to act as asaliva ejector and to provide a means for holding the patients tongue ina position so that it does not interfere with the required dentaloperation. Thus, the device is placed in the patients mouth so that thesoft flexible portion 23 lies on the floor of the patients mouth betweenthe mandibular ridge and the tongue,

and the member 17 acts to protect the patients tongue and prevent itfrom interfering with the required dental operation. Moisture is removedfrom the patients mouth through the apertures 27 so that the saliva andother moisture likewise does not interfere with the re-' quired dentaloperation.-

If so desired, the end uppermost lug 18 may be twisted to a positionsubstantially perpendicular to the main body of the plate-like tongueguard member 17 so that it acts substantially as an end closure for thesoft tubular member 23, thereby improving the suction characteristics ofmember 23 for the collection of saliva from the floor of the patientsmouth. Twisting this lug 18, 90 from the normal position thereof shownin FIG. 6 may be utilized to increase the suction characteristics incases where only a low vacuum service is available. Where there isadequate vacuum service this is neither necessary or desirable.

Various shapes and designs of the member 17 may be employed, and varioussizes thereof may be used, in accordance with the shape and size of themouth of the patient with whom the device is to be employed. Thus, themodified design of member 17' shown in FIG. 9 provides for a patientwhose mouth is of larger horizontal depth than the typical member 17shown in FIGS. 2, 6 and 7, whereas FIG. illustrates a much smallerversion of guard plate 37 which may be employed in the device when it isused with a child.

Obviously, any desirable number of attachment lugs may be employed withthe tongue guard member, the tubular flexible member 23 beingcorrespondingly provided with apertures to receive the attachment lugs.

A suitable type of outside chin clamp may be employed with the device ofthe present invention to help stabilize it in the mouth, but such a chinclamp is not absolutely essential.

A major advantage of the device above described is the ability torapidly interchange different sizes of guard plates, as required.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved saliva ejector devicehave been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understoodthat various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occurto those skilled in the art. Therefore it is intended that no limitationbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A saliva ejector comprising a rigid ejector tube having a curvedfirst open end portion formed for placement in a patients mouth and asecond open end portion formed for connection to a vacuum means, thecurved end portion being provided with a pair of diametrically opposedslots extending axially of said tube from the end thereof,

an open ended flexible curved perforated tubular member of relativelysoft rubber-like material connected to the end of said curved portion,said tubular member being secured to the ejector tube by a hole in saidtubular member engaging an outwardly projecting lug formed on saidejector tube, said tubular member being adapted to be placed with theopen free end between the patients tongue and lower teeth, and

a platelike tongue protector engaged lengthwise to and projecting upwardfrom said flexible tubular member to act as a tongue guard, said tongueprotector having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from its loweredge and engaging apertures formed in said tubular member, one end ofsaid plate being lockingly engaged in said slots of said ejector tube,said tongue protector being urged and held in said slots by the elasticforce of said tubular member through the engagement thereof with the lugportions of the protector whereby said tongue protector is rigidlypositioned and held with respect to the ejector tube, said force beingcreated during assembly of the unit after the tubular member is securedto the ejector tube, and after subsequent engagement and seating of thetongue protector in the slots of the ejector tube, by stretching saidtubular member slightly and engaging said tubular member with the lugsof said protector.

2. The saliva ejector of claim 1, and wherein said uppermost lug isformed with an elongated projection received in the end of said curvedfirst portion and extending inwardly beyond said slots.

3. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein at least one of the otherlugs has a reduced neck portion adapted to interlock with an aperture ofsaid flexible member.

4. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein the lowermost lug of thetongue protector is formed with a reduced neck portion engaged in anaperture of said flexible member and said lowermost lug is twisted so asto be substantially perpendicular to the main body of the tongueprotector so as to act substantially as a closure for the flexibletubular member.

5. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein said curved first portionhas a detent projection and said flexible tubular member has an aperturelockingly receiving said detent projection.

6. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein said plate-like tongueprotector has an arcuately convexly curved top edge.

1. A saliva ejector comprising a rigid ejector tube having a curved first open end portion formed for placement in a patient''s mouth and a second open end portion formed for connection to a vacuum means, the curved end portion being provided with a pair of diametrically opposed slots extending axially of said tube from the end thereof, an open ended flexible curved perforated tubular member of relatively soft rubber-like material connected to the end of said curved portion, said tubular member being secured to the ejector tube by a hole in said tubular member engaging an outwardly projecting lug formed on said ejector tube, said tubular member being adapted to be placed with the open free end between the patient''s tongue and lower teeth, and a platelike tongue protector engaged lengthwise to and projecting upward from said flexible tubular member to act as a tongue guard, said tongue protector having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from its lower edge and engaging apertures formed in said tubular member, one end of said plate being lockingly engaged in said slots of said ejector tube, said tongue protector being urged and held in said slots by the elastic force of said tubular member through the engagement thereof with the lug portions of the protector whereby said tongue protector is rigidly positioned and held with respect to the ejector tube, said force being created during assembly of the unit after the tubular member is secured to the ejector tube, and after subsequent engagement and seating of the tongue protector in the slots of the ejector tube, by stretching said tubular member slightly and engaging said tubular member with the lugs of said protector.
 2. The saliva ejector of claim 1, and wherein said uppermost lug is formed with an elongated projection received in the end of said curved first portion and extending inwardly beyond said slots.
 3. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein at least one of the other lugs has a reduced neck portion adapted to interlock with an aperture of said flexible member.
 4. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein the lowermost lug of the tongue protector is formed with a reduced neck portion engaged in an aperture of said flexible member and said lowermost lug is twisted so as to be substantially perpendicular to the main body of the tongue protector so as to act substantially as a closure for the flexible tubular member.
 5. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein said curved first portion has a detent projection and said flexible tubular member has an aperture lockingly receiving said detent projection.
 6. The saliva ejector of claim 2, and wherein said plate-like tongue protector has an arcuately convexly curVed top edge. 